Principal: "We were not told about dead teen's bullying"

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Owen Jacques
News Editor

Owen Jacques is an award-winning investigative journalist from Mackay, now based on the Sunshine Coast as APN Australian Regional Media’s Online News Editor. He has a strong background reporting on politics, business and breaking news. Owen has also specialised in resources reporting, which included a successful campaign to fight 100% fly-in, fly-out mining in rural Queensland towns.

Ms Unsworth said her son was once attacked with a fence pailing and required surgery, adding that while the incident was reported to police, it was not reported to the school.

In a statement from Aspley State High School principal Jacquita Miller, she said the school's deepest sympathies are extended to the boy's friends and family.

Aspley State High School principal Jacquita Miller

Ms Miller said that in relation to bullying, "let me be very clear: no allegation of bullying against this young person was made to our school".

"Neither the student nor his family ever came to us to say there was a problem of any kind," she said.

"If they did, we absolutely would have stepped in.

"The safety and wellbeing of everyone in our school is our highest priority and we do not tolerate bullying in any way, shape or form."

Read the full statement from the principal below:

Our deepest sympathies are with this young person's family, friends, loved ones and everyone who has been affected including his peers.

We are deeply concerned about their wellbeing.

We were made aware of an incident outside school hours between two students and are aware a complaint was made to police.

However, in relation to bullying, let me be very clear: no allegation of bullying against this young person was made to our school.

Neither the student nor his family ever came to us to say there was a problem of any kind. If they did, we absolutely would have stepped in.

The safety and wellbeing of everyone in our school is our highest priority and we do not tolerate bullying in any way, shape or form.

That includes absolute support for mental health issues.

We have a strong and supportive network which we would have used to help deal with any issues that this young person was facing.

We are using that network of support now as we look after our school community.

We wish to respect the privacy of everyone involved and ask that the community refrain from inflaming what is already a complex and challenging situation.

Many members of our school community are understandably experiencing distress as a result of this tragic incident and I encourage them to access the support that we are providing at this difficult time.

Boy, 13, took his own life after bullying, attacks: Mum

THE mother of a young teenager who took his own life, has blamed his death on the bullying the boy received for being gay.

Queensland 13-year-old Tyrone Unsworth died on Monday.

He had been bullied since he was in Year 5, his mother Amanda told the Courier-Mail.

"Tyrone ended up being gay and a lot of people started picking on him," she said.

"He was a really feminine male, he loved fashion, he loved make-up and the boys always picked on him, calling him gay-boy, faggot, fairy."

Ms Unworth said her son was hit in the face with a fence paling in one incident, an attack that required the boy to undergo surgery.

"When he came out of hospital he was a different boy ... he just kept telling us all 'I don't want to go to school, I don't want to end up back at hospital'," she said.

It was never reported to the school, although police were investigating.

Aspley State High School principal Jacquita Miller said the incident had not been brought to the school's attention and was "just so sorry and sad that we didn't have the opportunity to help this young man".

Tyrone Unsworth's mother Amanda posted on Facebook about her son.

On her Facebook page overnight, Ms Unworth wrote that when she saw her baby boy "I just wanted him to wake up and come home with me."

"All of this because of bullies thinking they're tough heroes. Now I don't have my son, never will I ever get to see my beautiful boy alive."